PAW PAW RD
Carrying PAW PAW RD over PAW PAW RUN
0.0 FR 643 & 3.0 TO 644, Buchanan, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
PAW PAW RD in Buchanan, Virginia sits above 93% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (84 t), while its 1980 build year is earlier than 38% of Buchanan's recorded-year cohort (283 bridges).
PAW PAW RD in Buchanan, Virginia is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1980, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Poor result describes the weakest reported component rather than the structure as a whole. No NBI category is a closure decision or a live crossing-safety verdict.
NBI record plate
Structure VA:000000000003918
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-POOR Poor
Inspection-sheet codes from this record’s year, material family, spans, controlling component, ADT, inventory load, and NBI category, not a live closure verdict.
Bridge Snapshot: PAW PAW RD
The PAW PAW RD bridge in Buchanan, Virginia carries PAW PAW RD over PAW PAW RUN. It was built in 1980, making it 46 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 12.8 meters (42 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,263 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How PAW PAW RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1980, earlier than 108 of Buchanan's 283 bridges with a recorded construction year (38%), against a county median build year of 1974. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Virginia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (14,112 of 14,120 rated).
PAW PAW RD vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
84 Top 7% higher than 93% of 14,112 bridges
rated Virginia bridges, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more bridges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · August 2026
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Reported 0–9 component ratings from the FHWA NBI. The highlighted component is the lowest reported input to this record’s current condition category; it is not a closure or live crossing-safety decision.
Buchanan inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 283 bridges in this county. Orthogonal to this structure's component profile above: a county catalog share, not a live crossing-safety verdict.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1980
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.8 m (42 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.1 m (30 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,263 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000003918
Condition Analysis
- • At 5/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
PAW PAW RD is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare PAW PAW RD against other structures in Buchanan and across Virginia. Virginia bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for PAW PAW RD?
PAW PAW RD in Buchanan, Virginia has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is PAW PAW RD inspected?
PAW PAW RD's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 1,263 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. PAW PAW RD is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for PAW PAW RD?
PAW PAW RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 83.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining PAW PAW RD?
PAW PAW RD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is PAW PAW RD and does age affect safety?
PAW PAW RD was built in 1980, making it 46 years old.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Share this inspection record
Send this source-bounded record or download its data card. An NBI condition category is not a closure or live crossing-safety verdict.
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Component ratings, ADT, and condition category on this page are copied from the NBI record for this structure; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.